By: Alex J. Nagem © March 25, 2025
Jesus’ Birth Foretold
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin [a]engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the [b]descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was [c]Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, [d]favored one! The Lord [e]is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How [f]can this be, since I [g]am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the [h]holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and [i]she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 For [j]nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the [k]bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38 NASB 1995
This is the day Mary is told she will give birth to the Son of God. Hallelujah! This is the day all of mankind should rejoice that our Savior is coming. Not everyone will rejoice. My excitement overshadows the fact that not everyone believes Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. But I do. I guess you do, too, since you are reading this. Thank you for reading what I write.
A few phrases in the above passage stand out to me. They are “Do not be afraid,” “Found favor with God,” “Nothing will be impossible with God,” “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,” and “Bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” Has God found favor with you? Is the Holy Spirit guiding you? Are you ready to answer the call of God as Mary did? Nothing is impossible with God’s help. Are you ready?
I believe we are asked to perform tasks each day for God. It would be helpful if an angel would appear to tell us what these tasks may be. I am not sure what I am to be looking for each day. Some days, I feel I get a little wood on the ball when unexpectedly I help someone. It is easy to write a check to a charitable organization. I know that helps, but you may not see the faces of those you help. You don’t receive the smile, handshake, or hug. I know the Holy Spirit is guiding me each day. I believe the tasks given by God are not always the easy ones. But as the Bible verse states, nothing is impossible with God.
There is a prayer I recite each morning. It originates from the late Fr. Mychal Judge,
Lord, take me where You want me to go;
Let me meet who You want me to meet;
Tell me what You want me to say;
And keep me out of Your way.
I use this prayer as a morning guide, a request to God to lead me where He wants me to go for Him. As I said, sometimes I get a little wood on the ball, sometimes I strike out. Being a follower of Jesus is not easy. We continue to try, though. The final result, our place in Heaven, far outweighs the impossibilities we are asked to undertake for Our Lord.
“Start by doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Francis of Assisi
You and your family are remembered in my prayers. I hope my family and I are remembered in yours.
“Vocatus Atque Non Vocatus, Deus Aderit “
Alex J. Nagem
3.25.2025